Trainer, Coordinator, and Breeder
by ChaosLydia
Summary: The adventures of Gilbert as a Pokemon trainer, Matthew as a coordinator, and Sadiq as a breeder. Written in the episodic format of Pokemon. Will eventually be PruCan
1. Getting in the sting of things!

**This is just a fic that I'm writing just for fun. It's on the back burner. It's a piece of crack. I just wanted to write this for fun. I have always adored Pokémon. It's my guilty pleasure. But I didn't want to write the average fic. I wanted to do something a little bit different. When I came into this wonderful fandom called Hetalia, the characters just clicked and I knew that this was what I wanted to write about.**

**This is going to be very episodic in nature. I might have a grander plot eventually. And I probably won't proofread as much as I do my other fics.**

**I hope you adore my Pokémon fic.**

It was a dark stormy night, and the thunder crackled overhead. The trees seemed to be looming closer like long tendrils reaching out for the wary traveler. But Sadiq Adnan remained dry and in good nature. Beside him walked his Pokémon Kirlia. She used psychic just above them as they strolled through the forest. Sadiq held her hand tight to make sure she wouldn't slip or lose her concentration. In his other hand he gripped the map of the forest and the path they were on.

"Well, there should be a series of caves somewhere around here. We can rest there for the night. If you need a break, I don't mind getting wet," he smiled down to her.

"Kirlia Kir!" she rolled her glowing eyes.

"Fine, be stubborn. If you think you can hold it up, fine. But when you wear out, I'm not carrying you," he chuckled looking at their surroundings. The rock formations through the trees were hard to see, but he didn't want to go off the path. Supposedly the path would lead right up to the caves, but they had been walking for a while now. Shifting his book bag, he stopped and looked around. "We're not getting anywhere. Did we miss them?" He glanced down to his Pokémon.

Kirlia wasn't paying attention. She narrowed her eyes and leaned forward as if she was trying to hear something far away.

Sadiq looked out around them, expecting some wild Pokemon to attack. The rain just continued to fall. A flash of lightning revealed that they were alone. "Kirlia, I don't see anything."

"Kirlia!" she cried, running ahead and taking her psychic umbrella with her.

"Ah! Hey!" he quickly stuffed that map in his backpack before sprinting after her. "Wait up!"

She dashed off the path and Sadiq groaned as he slipped after her. They would get lost, really lost! He knew it was coming! It was never a good idea to leave the path. As they dashed through the tree, he heard a voice break the crashing rain and thunder. It was the voice of a human and whoever it was sounded like they were in trouble.

Kirlia paused at the edge of a clearing, pointing to the person. A trainer kneeled in a puddle of mud and gripped an unconscious Hitmonchan. He shook him gently trying to wake the Pokemon up. It didn't work.

"Hold on, buddy! Please, just hold on!"

"Good work, Kirlia," Sadiq sprinted forward and called out, "Hey! Are you okay over there?" He kneeled beside the trainer and took one look at the Hitmonchan. It was poisoned.

"Thank God you're here!" the trainer cried, "Please tell me you have an antidote or pecha berries! My Hitmonchan and I came across a ton of Beedrill, and one of them stung him as he tried to protect me."

"Calm down," Sadiq motioned over to his own Pokemon, "Kirlia! Come here! I need your help. Use psychic and keep Hitmonchan dry."

Kirlia hurried over and casted the attack right away. Sadiq nodded in approval, but turned his gaze back to the sick Pokemon. Most of the color had already drained from his face, meaning his was close to fainting. It also meant he was badly poisoned. They needed to get him somewhere warm to not take a turn for the worse.

"Hey," Sadiq looked to the trainer, "Do you know where the caves are?"

"Just through the trees over there. Our stuff is in one. We came out to get some more berries."

"We need to go there. I'll help you carry him."

Together they scooped up the sick Pokemon. The trek back that would normally take about two minutes seemed to last forever. They slipped, slid, cursed, while poor Hitmonchan moaned in pain. The worried trainer cooed to his Pokemon, promising that he would be okay. Even Kirlia seemed a bit more on edge than normal. She could sense the Pokémon's distress. Ahead, Sadiq spotted a dim light. As it grew, he realized it was a fire inside a cave. They had made it.

In the cave mouth floated a Haunter. The ghost type's excited smile dropped into a worried frown spotting the situation. It shot out and circled around the trainer.

"Haunter!" commanded the trainer, "Go in and pull out a pillow for Hitmonchan!"

"Haunt!" the Pokemon saluted and zoomed back into the cave. The two trainers finally pulled the sick Pokemon into the warmth. Sadiq set to work immediately and dug through his bag. He would have to mix something stronger than a normal antidote. Setting out a cutting board, knife, and several pecha berries, he slid them to Kirlia who automatically began cutting them. Sadiq spotted a bucket of water and filled his mortar a quarter of the way. With a splash of antidote, he took the pieces as Kirlia finished and crushed them with the pestle. Once it was a thin liquid, he kneeled beside Hitmonchan. Tipping the mortar, he slowly helped the Pokemon drink it down.

"Kirlia!"

"Hmm?" Sadiq glanced up and smiled to his Pokemon. She was holding out a wet cloth for him. "Thank you. Good work." He laid the cloth across Hitmonchan's forehead.

"Are you some type of doctor?" the trainer watched the process carefully still looking just as worried. "Your Pokemon are so well trained."

"I'm a breeder, but I have a medical background. Every Pokemon I have is there to assist me in performing my duties," he smiled to the trainer. "What's your name?"

"Gilbert."

"You're an older trainer."

"I'm nineteen."

"You have to be experienced to have such a well behaved Haunter and a Hitmonchan. They are very tough Pokemon to raise."

Gilbert glanced up to his ghost type who smirked back to him, "I guess. Though, I did let this happen to my Hitmonchan. What does that say about me?"

"Kirlia! Kir Kir Kirlia!" the psychic type pointed adamantly to Gilbert.

"Huh?" he raised an eyebrow. "What is she saying?"

Sadiq chuckled, "I think she is saying that accidents happen. Which is true. Hitmonchan was doing his duty as your partner and he protected you. Now you're doing your duty and staying by his side to help him recover."

Gilbert's eyes widened in realization. Even his Haunter nudged him, encouraging that it was the truth. Finally, he smiled, "You're right. Thanks. What's your name?"

"Sadiq. Pleasure to meet you."

"You're welcome to stay here for the night. We owe you a lot." Gilbert stood up and stretched. "How about I rustle us up some grub." Once more, his eyes trailed back to his unconscious Pokemon and the worry etched his face.

Sadiq stood as well and patted his shoulder, "Don't worry about, Hitmonchan. With a little rest, he will be fine."

Gilbert didn't sleep well that night. As the sun filtered into the mouth of the cave, he groggily opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling. Last night had been a nightmare, but meeting Sadiq in the middle of nowhere had been a miracle. Hitmonchan could have been massively hurt or killed if the breeder hadn't come along. Gilbert had no clue how to repay him.

"Oh?" Sadiq sat by the fire, sipping a cup of coffee. "Good morning. You're awake. I made some coffee and a light breakfast."

Gilbert sat up and scratched his unruly white hair. To his left, his Haunter still snoozed in the shadows. He assumed the Pokemon had been up most of the night helping Hitmonchan sleep.

"Hitmonchan!" he bolted to his feet and spun around. His Pokemon was gone. "Where's Hitmonchan!"

"Calm down. He's outside." Sadiq sipped at his coffee.

Gilbert sprinted to the cave mouth. There in the opening was his Pokemon. Hitmonchan looked fit and perfectly healthy. He punched at the air in rapid volleys before noticing Gilbert. He trotted over to his trainer and struck a pose. "Monchan!"

Gilbert sighed and ruffled his Pokemon's hair. But the composure left, and he suddenly hugged the fighting type. His whole body was shaking. "God you scared the hell out of me buddy. Don't do that again…"

"Chan…" Hitmonchan rolled his eyes, but hugged his partner back.

"Thanks for letting me come along with you," Sadiq walked beside Gilbert. The weather had cleared up into a beautiful day. The sun shimmered through the trees and the forest Pokemon practically sang to them. On the other side of Gilbert was Hitmonchan. Sadiq had learned that the fighting type never stayed in his Pokeball, but Gilbert didn't mind.

The trainer shrugged, "Well if we're both heading towards Canalave City, might as well go together. The company would be nice, especially since Hitmonchan has heard all of my jokes!"

"Channnnn..."

"You know you like them."

Suddenly, a scream pieced the air startling the three of them.

"Someone's in trouble!" Gilbert dashed ahead. "Come on Hitmonchan!"

"Here we go again…" Sadiq rolled his following them.

**Woo! Read and Review!**


	2. Luck like a Ledyba!

**Hello everyone! Wow! I'm glad you all like my pokemon fic! I love it too. It's fun to write. This chapter, not much will happen. I need to bring in Matthew. That's about it…**

**If you're wondering about ages, Sadiq is 20, Gilbert is 19, and Matthew is 18. BTW.**

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Suddenly, a scream pierced the air startling the three of them.

"Someone's in trouble!" Gilbert dashed ahead. "Come on Hitmonchan!"

"Here we go again…" Sadiq rolled his eyes following them.

The screams came from the path in front of them. It sounded like a girl's scream, but Gilbert wasn't too sure. Up ahead someone dashed through the trees and tumbled out to the path. A blonde trainer sprawled out in the dirt. His shoe laces caught in the bushes, and the trainer panicked.

"SHINX!" he covered his face. "Where are you!" He was in tears and shaking.

"What is he running from?" Sadiq slowed down, but still had a hand on one of his Pokeballs. All he could hear was a soft buzzing. Moments later, thirteen Ledyba flew out and circled the fallen trainer. The trainer wailed and curled up in a ball. Sadiq stopped completely, "He's afraid of Ledyba? Really?"

Gilbert and Hitmonchan halted too, "I… guess? The Ledyba are smiling. I believe they think he's playing with them? They're not even attacking."

"Should we… do something?" Sadiq scratched his head. "I don't want to attack the Ledyba if they're not doing anything wrong."

"Shinx…" the trainer trembled. "Please come save me…" One of the Ledyba dove close and patted his shoulder. The young man freaked out, throwing out an arm. His fist slammed into the Ledyba's face knocking it down. The bug Pokemon froze.

"That's not good," Gilbert snatched a Pokeball from his belt.

The Ledyba swarmed around the trainer, rising high above him. Each tilted their wings towards the man ready to attack.

"They're all about to use silver wing!" Sadiq gasped. "They'll tear him apart!"

"Jolteon!" Gilbert threw the Pokeball out, his electric type exploding out. Jolteon shook out his spikes and crouched, ready to act. "Use thunderbolt! Try not to hit the Ledyba! Just scare them away."

"Jolt?" he glanced back at Gilbert like he was insane.

"I know it's a weird command, but just do it!"

Shrugging, Jolteon shot out several thin tendrils dancing them around the Ledyba and the trainer. The startled bug type scattered flying away and leaving the trainer on the ground.

"Hey kid!" Gilbert jogged forward to him and kneeled down. Touching his shoulder, Gilbert fell back to dodge the trainer's fist. Gil snatched his wrist and held him tight. "Whoa! Watch it!"

Uncovering his face, the trainer peaked up through tear filled eyelashes. Gilbert froze and gawked at the deep purple eyes staring back at him. Damn. Whoever this kid was, he was gorgeous. Heat rose up in Gilbert's cheeks as he took in the trainer's fair white skin. Though it was covered in dirt, he was still very cute.

"Sir?" the trainer had a higher pitched voice for a man. "Did you make the Ledyba go away?"

Gilbert just nodded like a dummy. Hitmonchan rolled his eye and strutted forward. With a swift punch, he knocked Gil out of the way.

"Ah!" the trainer froze watching the scene unfold. He relaxed as Hitmonchan pulled his shoelaces from the bush before helping the young man to his feet. "Thank you very much, Mr. Hitmonchan." The trainer ruffled the Pokemon's hair.

"What the fuck, Hitmonchan!" Gilbert shot back to his feet, holding his ribs. He bent over and rubbing his sides, "That really hurt."

"Chan, hitmonchan hit."

"I was not acting like a jackass!"

"Monchan!"

"You shut up!"

"Monchan!"

"No, you shut up!"

Jolteon laughed as it circled behind his trainer. Her rubbed up against Gilbert making sure he was okay.

Sadiq hustled forward and stuck a hand between Gilbert and Hitmonchan, "Will you both shut up! You're acting like hooligans. I'm sorry you have to see them acting like children, sir."

"Please, call me Matthew. It's totally fine. Thanks for saving me. I sort of have a deathly fear of Ledyba," he blushed and looked away. "I got off the path with my Shinx and-" His eyes grew big, and he spun around. "Shinx! Shinx! Where are you!" He dove back through the bushes ignoring the briars tearing at his jeans.

Sadiq looked to Gilbert and pointed after Matthew, "Should we follow him?"

"Hell yeah we do!"

"Hitmonchan…" the fighting Pokemon rolled his eyes before shrugging to his electric friend.

"Jolt?"

"Chan."

They laughed together and Sadiq smirked, "Your Pokemon are making fun of you."

"They tend to do that." Gilbert lightly nudged Jolteon with his toe before pointing to the bushes. "Since you have that spiky tough fur, do you mind going first to make a path?"

Jolteon shook its head, looking up to his trainer. Hitmonchan waited and did the same.

Sadiq cocked his head, "What are they doing?"

"What _are_ you two doing?" Gilbert glanced between them. The Pokemon exchanged very knowing glances before Jolteon dashed into the briars. He easily cleared a path. "Pokemon are strange creatures."

"You're a strange creature," Sadiq snickered before following after Jolteon.

Reaching out, Gilbert stopped Hitmonchan, "You and Jolteon are right by the way. I think that trainer is cute. But I don't know Sadiq well enough to come out to him. You're my best friend though…"

"Monchan," Hitmonchan smiled back, understanding his trainer and the position.

"Thanks buddy. Now let's go find that trainer!"

Matthew and Sadiq knelt beside a briar bush about twenty yards off the path. The sharp thorns wrapped around the smallest Shinx Gilbert had ever seen. It had to be less than a few months old. It cried out along with Matthew, who was panicking once again. "I'm so sorry, Shinx! I was so scared that I didn't mean to outrun you! Please be okay! Mister, don't let my Pokemon die!"

"Hush," Sadiq pulled a small pair of scissors from his bag, "Your Shinx won't die. She's just tangle, though she might have a few scratches." Taking his time, he slowly snipped through the thorny vines.

Sensing the baby Pokémon's distress, Jolteon crawled on his belly and laid his head beside the Shinx's. He gently nuzzled his nose into her neck keeping her calm. Shinx tensed as a thorn was pulled out from her thigh and accidently discharged electricity. But Jolteon absorbed it to keep Sadiq from being shocked.

"Good job, Jolteon," Gilbert crouched beside Matthew and rubbed his back. "It's okay. You're Shinx is in good hands."

"Are you sure?" Matthew cringed as his Pokemon whined.

"Totally! I've known Sadiq less than a day and seen him work wonders."

"That…. doesn't make me feel any better," Matthew shrugged away from Gilbert.

A few tense moments later, Sadiq pulled off the last briar and handed Shinx to Matthew. The tiny Pokemon whimpered in her trainer's arm and trembled. Matt rocked her while cooing quietly. Smoothing her fur, he looked between Gilbert and Sadiq, "Thank you both for your help. I really did mess up that time."

Sadiq put his scissors away and hoisted his bag back on his shoulders, "It's not a problem. Now let's find some water so I can clean up her scratches."

Nearby, a stream crossed the path as it raced under a bridge. The travelers paused there to set up for lunch. Sadiq plopped Shinx on a stump, gently spraying her cuts. She whined but stood her ground. He could tell she wanted to seem brave in front of Gilbert's Jolteon.

Gilbert built up a fire to heat up some tea followed by making sandwiches. But his gaze drifted back to the blonde. Matthew pulled off his shirt before changing into a pair of shorts. His jeans had torn from the thorns leaving gaping holes in the legs. Still shirtless, he washed off the dirt from his arms and face. The water trickled down his chest in shimmering beads.

Jolteon rubbed against Gilbert snapping him out of his trance. Gil just grinned to his Pokemon and rubbed his head, "I'm hopeless aren't I?"

Shaking his head, Jolteon nuzzled his trainer. Suddenly, he bristled up appearing startled. Glancing back very unamused, he saw Shinx sitting on his back wagging her tail.

"Looks like you have an admire too," Gilbert laughed scratching his Pokemon's ears. "Be nice to her, okay?"

"Oh Shinx, leave him alone," Matthew, now fully dressed and cleaned, picked her up and tapped her nose. "You're looking so much better now! Thank you, sir." Matthew trotted to Sadiq and shook his hand.

"No problem. I'm Sadiq. Pleasure to meet you."

"You too."

Gilbert clambered up and held out his hand, "I'm Gilbert! Nice to meet you too!"

"Oh," forcing a small smile, Matthew appeared a little put off. He quickly turned back to Sadiq (which bummed out Gil), "So are you some kind of traveling Pokemon doctor?"

"No I'm a breeder. What about you?"

Matthew and Shinx both puffed out their chests, "I'm a coordinator!"

"Cool," Gilbert tried to get back in the conversation, "So how many ribbons do you have?"

He frowned as Matthew deflated a little not meeting their eyes, "Um, I have two."

"Just for this year?" Sadiq questioned.

"Ever. I just have two."

Gilbert scoffed, "How old are you?"

Matthew didn't answer, gripping his Shinx a little tighter. The tiny Pokemon frowned at Gil as she sensed her trainer's embarrassment.

Gilbert tried to cover, "But you probably just haven't come into your own yet! I'm sure you're going to be awesome one day! Grand Festival material…" He was never good at this stuff.

"Thank you… So where are you two going?" Matthew sat beside the fire, accepting a sandwich from Sadiq.

The breeder smiled back to him, "Canalave City."

"Me too! I'm from there. My parents' house is just outside of town. We should travel together," Matthew quickly added, "Not that I'm inviting myself in your party!"

Gilbert and Sadiq exchanged looks and nodded in agreement before Gil said, "No, you're more than welcome to come along."

"Really? Thank you both!" Matthew smiled wide.

Gilbert swooned.

Sadiq rolled his eyes.

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**Read and Review!**


	3. All in the Family!

**I love to write on this piece! Don't worry if you read my other works. I'll update on them soon. Those pieces have such detailed plots and so much planning that goes into them, they're actually really difficult to write ESPECIALLY Vigilant. That's why I love to write on this piece. It's easy to write and super fun. Plus, I adore Pokemon!**

**To answer a few reviews:**

**~i wrote this song for you: I thought there had been a Gilbert at some point in the show, but I looked it up on Serebii. There has been no Gilbert. I'm surprised there hasn't even been a Matt or Matthew in the show yet.**

**~RickaZcurser: First, I really don't like any of the Generation V Pokemon. They are really dumb. Gear? GEAR! Come on. That just means that the Pokemon creators are running out of ideas. So I'm only going through generation IV and Sinnoh. Second, I'm staying away from the stereotype of what the Hetalia characters would normally have. So, Matt will not have a Bidoof or any bears. I chose their Pokemon based on their jobs. All of Sadiq's Pokémon aids him, Gilbert's are powerhouses, Matthew's are cute or match his personality (except one of them). Only Francis, as you will see in this chapter, will have Pokemon that are stereotypical to him**

**~ThisIsMyCliche: I will never get tired of reviews! Bring them on!**

**These next few chapters are character developing chapters. Very low plot. Just a heads up.**

**On to the story!**

**EDIT: Since a lot of Pokemon are introduced in this chapter, I have all of their teams in picture form on my personal journal at**

http: / likliklovestas .livejournal .com/ 23124 .html **Connect the spaces and scroll down to the bottom of the entry.**

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Gilbert shifted his backpack on his shoulders. They had been out of the forest for a few days and continued on the route leading to Canalave City. The open plains were mild. It would be winter soon, so the sun wasn't bearing down on the travelers. Though, Gilbert wasn't feeling too great. Ever since they met the coordinator, Matthew, Gil hadn't been able to say the right things. Either he was coming on too strong or saying things that made him seem like a total jackass. The last few days, the two of them barely talked. It wasn't the same for the others. Matt and Sadiq seemed to have hit it off really well. They constantly chatted about different techniques to keep Pokemon looking beautiful, what foods to eat to make them shine, best ways to wash them. Stupid coordinators and their girly nature. For once, Gilbert felt too manly for being as gay as he was. He groaned, "How much longer, Matt?"

"It's just over that hill!" Matthew pointed excitedly, a little bounce in his step. "They live a few miles from Canalave, but you can get there in a few minutes by car. I can already smell the sea air."

"Is that what that smell is?" Gilbert crinkled his nose. Matt frowned.

"You are insufferable," Sadiq rolled his eyes. "That's sulfur in the ground from all of the salt deposits."

"Smells like a fart."

"Hitmonchan," the Pokemon nodded in agreement.

Matt slid his hands in his hoodie pockets appearing a little put off. He couldn't help that his hometown smelled like farts.

Noticing this, Hitmonchan tapped Gilbert's arm and pointed. The trainer quickly added, "I'm sure I'll get used to it! It's gonna be like a rose!"

Matt pursed his lips and walked ahead of the group.

"Chaaaaan…"

"I know," Gilbert ran a hand through his hair. "Smooth, right? Damn…"

"Okay, what's going on here?" Sadiq muttered to Gil, motioning between the trainer and Matt.

"Nothing, nothing at all." Gilbert tugged at his white hair in stress, watching Matt ahead of them. "I'm just really bad at life."

"Monchan."

"I'm so glad you agree with my misery…"

Sadiq watched his traveling companions a few more moments before a small, coy smile crossed his lips. He didn't say anything, but the last few days suddenly made sense.

Suddenly, the ground began to shake. It started slowly, but grew until it was trembling so hard it threatened to throw them off their feet.

"An earthquake!" Sadiq stumbled, snagging Gilbert for support.

"No. Look!" Matthew pointed. Coming over the hill, a long snake like Pokemon barreled towards them. Its metal coat glimmered in the sun, and the spikes on its head looked dangerous.

Sadiq, Gilbert, and Hitmonchan screamed, "Ahhhhh! A Steelix!"

It roared at them, but wore a huge smile on his face.

Matthew waved to it and ran ahead, "You came to greet us!"

"Greet us?" Gilbert glanced to his Pokemon, but Hitmonchan looked much more relaxed. He could understand what the Steelix said to them.

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"Weird." Alfred held a hand over his eyes to shield the sun. "It's not like Steelix to run off like that. I wonder what spooked him."

He stood in the opening of a white picket fence that surrounded several acres of land his parents owned. The three story house rose up proud behind him. His step father's flower garden flourished around the house. Down in the valley, a lake shimmered. The river passed through the lake and traveled down to the sea by Canalave City. In the wide open field between the house and lake was a patch of farm land. Each row was a different vegetable, five in all. Everything on this huge plot of land stood as a testament to the life that their family had created twelve years ago.

Coming up the hill from the vegetable garden, Arthur Kirkland dropped a basket full of tomatoes besides the front door. Behind him, his Espeon and Umbreon worked together to pull a basket with plump pumpkins. Arthur's Ninetales trotted up with a smaller basket full of tools. Down in the valley, his Empoleon watered the garden. Arthur helped his Eeveelutions with the pumpkins before stretching, "Good work today everyone. I really appreciated all the help!" He called back down the hill, "Empoleon! Don't be too long! Francis has already started dinner!" The large penguin waved, confirming he had heard his trainer. Seeing his son by the fence, Arthur asked, "Alfred? Is something the matter?"

Alfred walked back up the drive way pausing to pat Ninetales on the head, "Steelix just ran off. Up and gone like that."

"Oh, that's what I felt? I thought the earth was ripping in half."

"It's not that bad, Dad. Steelix is learning to not drag his weight around as he slithers." Alfred picked up a tomato, shining it on his shirt. "He's still getting used to his evolution. He's heavy now."

"He wasn't heavy as a giant rock snake?" Arthur snatched the tomato back, laying it in the basket.

"He's heavier and very self conscious about it," Alfred crossed his arms and smiled to his father. "Though, I'm finally getting him ready to use at work." He knelt down, resting a hand on the ground, and glanced up to Arthur's Pokemon. "Please don't talk about this to the other Pokemon. You don't want to see a Steelix cry. It's rough to watch. Especially you, Espeon. You're a bit of a gossip."

"Espeon!" she protested, bristling up. Umbreon nuzzled her side trying to calm her down.

Alfred pulled his hand back from the ground and stood up, "He's on his way back. He'll be over the hill any minute now. What! Dad, what's that look for?"

"Don't call my Pokemon gossips. Have you seen your Pokemon? They goof around like you, sleep in, and only work out if they have to." Arthur scowled at his son.

"Hey, hey…" Alfred poked Arthur's chest. "No! We are on a workout regimen."

"So you bench press the enchiladas before you eat them?" Arthur and his Pokemon snickered.

"Haha…" Alfred rolled his eyes. He spotted Arthur's Empoleon coming up to the house. Rushing up to him, Al grabbed the oversized penguin. "Is your son lazy!"

"Poleon?"

"Yes, your son. My Empoleon."

The penguin thought it over for a moment before nodding. His son was just as lazy as Arthur's son. Arthur laughed at the scowl that crossed Alfred's face.

Turning away, Alfred crossed his arms, "You guys suck!" He noticed his Steelix's head rise up over the hill. Trotting back down to the fence opening, he held up his arms and called up the hill, "What was that? Where did you go, you big lug?" Then Alfred saw him. Matthew with two other people and a Hitmonchan peaked over the hill. His brother pointed to the house, spotted his step father and step brother, and ran down the hill. "Dad!" Alfred turned back to Arthur. "Matt's home!"

"Hi! Hi there!" Matthew waved.

Alfred ran out to his brother, and they met about halfway down the hill. After a brief hug, Matthew hurried up the driveway and hugged Arthur close.

"Matthew! What a lovely surprise!" Arthur beamed at the young man. "If we would have known you were coming in, we would have gone shopping for more food."

"I wanted to surprise you guys," Matthew squatted down, petting all of Arthur's Pokemon. "Hey guys! I missed all of you too."

"Francis!" Arthur called into the house. "Matthew is home!"

A few moments later, a well dressed blond man threw open the front door. Just behind him, his Roserade peaked out the door. Francis broke into a huge loving grin and threw out his arms, "My son! My little boy!"

"Papa!" Matthew squealed, getting smothered in kisses. Roserade rushed out too and hugged Matt from behind. "Papa, I missed you so much! I know it's only been a few weeks, but I want to eat your cooking."

Francis cupped his son's cheek, "Well you got here just in time. I started cooking a few minutes ago. And who are these strapping young men?"

Gilbert, Hitmonchan, and Sadiq followed the Steelix through the entrance of the fence. Matt hurried back to the group and motioned to them, "Guys, these are my traveling companions. They saved me from a swarm of Ledyba."

Sadiq stepped up and waved, "Hello, my name is Sadiq Adnan. I'm a Pokemon Breeder."

"I'm Gilbert Weilschmidt, and I'm a trainer. This is my partner, Hitmonchan."

"Hitmonchan!"

Alfred gawked at Gilbert before snatching up his hand, "You are _the _Gilbert Weilschmidt! Like from Saffron City?"

Matthew cocked his head, "Are you famous or something?"

Gilbert smirked, "Yeah that's me. Nice to meet you."

Sadiq laughed realizing the situation, "I didn't think that you were _that_ Gilbert."

"Are you famous?" Matthew asked Gilbert again with an irritated tone.

Puffing out their chest, Gilbert and Hitmonchan held their heads high, "Well, I placed top sixteen in Kanto's Indigo Plateau Conference, top eight in Johto's Silver Conference, and top four in Hoenn's Ever Grande Conference."

Matthew blushed a little. This guy was really good. Matt kept it to himself, but he had thought Gilbert looked familiar. Matt had watched the tournaments the last two years.

Gilbert continued while literally putting his foot down to push his point, "And I'm here now for the Sinnoh League. I will become the new Champion here."

"Easy now," Alfred held up a hand before patting his Steelix's side, "The gym leaders in Sinnoh are tough."

"Oh, I know they are," Gilbert nodded, "I respect them a lot. I look forward to meeting my first gym leader in Canalave."

"Canalave?" Alfred perked up with a little smirk. Matthew opened his mouth, but Alfred hushed him. "Good luck with that."

Arthur stepped forward and shook Gilbert, Sadiq, and Hitmonchan's hands, "We haven't introduced ourselves. I'm Arthur."

"I'm Alfred."

"And I'm Francis," he wrapped his arm around his husband, "I'm Arthur's partner."

"That's cool," Gilbert shrugged while Sadiq nodded in agreement.

Matthew motioned to the land around them, "You guys can let your Pokemon roam around if you want. We have plenty of space!"

"Alright!" Gilbert snatched his Pokeballs' off his belt and tossed them into the air, "Everyone, come on out!" Bursting from their homes, Jolteon and Haunter appeared and greeted Sadiq. Turning back to Matthew, Jolteon nuzzled the young man's leg. An Altaria materialized from the Pokeball's light and hovered around Gilbert while a Buizel and an Ivysaur stretched out. "This is my team. Guys, this is Matthew and Sadiq, our traveling companions, and this is Matt's family." His Pokemon all called out their hellos.

"I only have four, but it's my turn!" Sadiq sent out his Pokeballs. A Milotic appeared and slithered behind Sadiq to nuzzle her master. A Chimecho materialized and dropped its tail into Kirlia's face. The psychic Pokemon batted it away as a Ponyta trotted in circles around his trainer, happy to stretch his legs. "These are my friends and my helpers. They're all here to aid my work."

"That's so cool guys!" Matthew giggled as Chimecho and Haunter whirled around him. _Wow_, Gilbert felt his cheeks get hot watching the coordinator. _He has such a great smile._

"My, you have some good looking Pokemon," Francis whistled admiring the group. "Gilbert, yours are all so strong. The Canalave gym leader is going to have his hands full."

Alfred squatted down to pet Buizel's head, "He will have it rough, but I think it will be a good fight. I might have to come watch the battle." He chuckled to himself.

"It's a he?" Gilbert and his team suddenly looked really pumped up. "Not that girl trainers aren't tough, but I just love squaring off against male gym leaders. It's like I have more to prove."

"Matthew," Arthur spoke up, "Have you gotten any new Pokemon recently?"

"Um, yeah. I have two. I hope to use them in an upcoming contest." Matthew tossed his team in the air. His Spoink and Mawile ran to greet the family. A third Pokemon appeared and wrapped tightly around Francis, Arthur, and Alfred.

"Whoa, Gyarados!" Alfred pushed at the water Pokémon's head as it nuzzled them. "We're happy to see you, but we can't breathe!"

Gilbert and Sadiq turned to gawk at Matt, and Gil asked, "You have a Gyarados?"

"Yeah, I raised him from a Magikarp," Matt blushed a little at the attention. "I found him in the lake out back and would feed him every day. He was my first Pokemon." Gyarados nuzzled Matthew affectionately practically purring.

Sadiq laughed watching the scene, "I've seen a lot of things in my life, but I've never seen a Gyarados act like a kitten."

"You know," Alfred motioned from Steelix to Gyarados. "They call Matt and me the serpent brothers."

"Al, they don't call us that."

A grey blur rushed away, leapt up the side of the house, and settled on the roof to glare down to everyone.

"Absol!" Matthew trotted up to the base of the house. "You don't have to be shy. I would love for you to meet everyone."

Absol narrowed his eyes and hopped across the roof to the other side where no one could see him. Matthew just sighed in defeat.

"I can't believe you!" Arthur snatched his step-son's arm and pulled him back over to the group of human. "Matthew, Absols are very dangerous. They bring bad luck and misfortune to their trainers."

"I don't believe that," Matthew pulled away. He glanced back up to the house hoping to see his Pokemon there. The dark-type still hid from sight. "He has been good to me these last few weeks. I found him injured in the mountains and took care of him. Afterward, he followed me for a few days before allowing me to catch him. I didn't even have to fight him."

Shaking his head, Francis didn't look convinced, "Just be careful."

Suddenly, Jolteon barked startled by something. Shinx wagged her tail, beaming up to him. Matthew laughed and picked her up, "And I got this little cutie from a trainer. Her Luxray had a litter so I paid for her. I figured my Shinx could help me in contests. What do you think, Arthur?"

"She is adorable, but very young. You need to start teaching her basics now," Arthur tilted Shinx's head up. "She has great eyes, nice and bright. I think you have a contender here."

"Do you hear that, Shinx? You, Spoink, and Mawile are going to help me get a third ribbon!" Matthew danced around with his Pokemon, except one.

Matt's Mawile shuffled up to Alfred, tugging at his shirt. Frowning, Matthew hurried to her, "Mawile, leave Al alone."

"Naw, it's okay," Alfred took out one of his Pokeball's. "She just wants to see her brother." Releasing his Pokemon, Alfred's Mawile blinked before seeing his sister. The two steel types hugged and nuzzled each other.

Matthew turned to Gyarados and pointed to the lake, "Hey, why don't you take Buizel and Milotic down to the lake for a swim. We'll bring you down dinner. The rest of you can fly and run and roam and do anything as long as you're within the fence that goes around the property. Have fun!" The Pokemon all cheered and dashed away except a few. Shinx stayed in Matthew's arms, happy to be with her trainer. Sadiq's Chimecho floated to the open kitchen window and hung there. She wafted in the wind while singing to herself. Of course, Hitmonchan stay at Gilbert's side.

Francis led the way back up to the house and smiled to Sadiq and Gilbert, "Please feel free to stay the night. We have plenty of room in the house and barn for everyone. Any friends of my little Matthew are welcomed. Dinner will be ready soon."

"Thank you sir," Sadiq stepped inside the house, followed by Gilbert.

* * *

**Please Read and Review. Bear with the character development chapters. The plot will pick back up.**


	4. A Bluebottle Tyrogue!

**Hey there guys! Sorry I haven't updated much this month. I had a family emergency and was away for about three weeks. But I should be back on a regular schedule again.**

**Thanks for all of the support like usual. I really appreciate you guys keeping with my crazy Pokemon fic. This is going to be another character development chapter, and you're going to get back stories.**

**So you know, Magnus Weilschmidt is Germania/Gilbert's father.**

**Yes, I did make Ludwig older than Gilbert in this fic.**

**I have a new poll up on my profile page. Please take a look at it especially if you're a fan of my other works.**

**The chapter title is a play on Shakespeare.**

**Reviews!**

**~themagnificent ME: Matt might have bad ass Pokemon, but he doesn't really know how to use them. Gilbert and Sadiq are going to help toughen Matt up and make him stronger.**

**~FluffDucklings: PERV! Just Kidding! Trust me. I was considering it. If Sadiq didn't already have a Kirlia, I probably would have given Francis a Gardevoir.**

**Onwards!**

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* * *

**

Matthew pulled on his shirt and carefully buttoned it up. Last night had been fun. His traveling companions mixed well with his family, and dinner was full of laughter and new inside jokes. Afterward, Alfred headed out to his apartment in Canalave telling Matt to visit soon. By the time they had fed all of the Pokemon, given them good baths, and showered themselves, the trainers were ready to hit the sack. Francis and Arthur insisted for Gilbert and Sadiq to stay at the house. It was better to save money for the travelers. They graciously accepted, and Sadiq slept in Alfred's old room while Gilbert took the guest room.

Sitting on the bed, Matthew jostled his napping Shinx. She yawned and looked up to him with bleary eyes. "Come on sleepy head," he scratched her behind the ears. "Everyone is already up and about. You and I can't sleep in all day." She mumbled to herself, stood, and stretched. Matthew bent down and slipped on his converse. As he tied them, he glanced over to his open closet. Absol laid perfectly still, his eyes glowing from between the hanging pants.

"Absol, I know you're shy, but I would like you to come down and get to know everyone," Matthew stood up and kneeled in the closet beside him. Reaching out, he stroked Absol's head careful not to hit the sickle. The Pokemon smiled to Matthew and nuzzled his hand back. "Take your time," he said gently. "I know you'll make friends with everyone on your own." Standing back up, he picked up Shinx and headed downstairs.

The house was abnormally quiet when he entered the living room. Apparently everyone was outside, including all of the Pokemon. Strolling into the kitchen, he spotted Sadiq sipping coffee and standing in the doorway.

"Good morning!" Matthew called to him.

"Morning."

"Where is everyone?"

Sadiq pointed out the door, "Watching this awesome practice battle. Arthur and Gilbert are going at it."

"What?" Matthew scooted past him outside and almost dropped Shinx at what he saw.

Arthur and Gilbert squared off on opposite sides of the field. Between them, Arthur's Umbreon and Gilbert's Buizel matched each other move for move. It didn't last much longer. Buizel slammed into Umbreon with an Aqua Jet, knocking the dark type to the ground.

Arthur threw out a hand, "Okay, okay! That's enough. Umbreon and I aren't what we used to be." Hurrying over, he helped his Pokemon back to his feet and rubbed his head. "You battled hard. Go take a good nap with Espeon."

"Umbreon!" the dark type bounded over to the shade and lay down with his partner.

"Buizel," Gilbert scratched his Pokemon behind the ears. "Good job. Go cool down in the lake."

"Bui bui!" Buizel dashed off and dove into the water with Milotic and Gyarados. All the Pokemon who had been watching the battle returned to their playing or resting.

"You certainly are a tough trainer," Arthur shook Gil's hand. "It's been a while since I had to break a sweat in a battle."

"Thank you for the practice. I haven't had Buizel as long as some of my others, so we're still getting to know each other." Gilbert walked back towards the house with Hitmonchan. Spotting Matthew awake, he hurried over and shot him a huge smile. "Morning there! Sleep well?"

"Yes, thank you. I hope you had plenty of rest." Matthew stepped aside for Arthur and Gilbert to come back in.

Arthur went over to the kitchen window, pulling it open, "We're only going to have a few more warm days before winter sets in. You all should spend the day outside."

Gilbert and Hitmonchan thrust their fists in the air, "We will! My gang and I are getting in some important training before the gym battle on Monday!"

"Hitmonchan!"

Matthew hugged Shinx tight, "And I was going to start working with Shinx and teaching Spoink new combos."

"Shinx! Shinx shinx!"

Sadiq smiled and sat down at the table to sip his coffee. His companions sure had a lot of energy, especially so early in the morning. Though it was a bit exhausting at times, it was nice to have people to talk with.

Noticing a brown paper bag full of food on the counter, Arthur rolled his eyes, "Damn. It looks like Francis left his lunch. I'm going to run it to him. I'm sorry for this, boys."

Matthew waved him off, "It's okay, Arthur. I think we have things under control here."

The Brit smiled and picked up his keys and the lunch. "I'm going to leave my Pokemon here. If there's any trouble, just use Empoleon."

"Will do. Be safe."

"I will." Arthur smiled to Gilbert and Sadiq before heading out to his car. A few minutes later, he drove away.

"Your family is very nice," Sadiq washed out his cup and laid it in the sink. "And this house is beautiful. Your family must be very proud of it."

"We are."

Gilbert and Hitmonchan stood just inside the living room and stared at pictures on the walls. They showed various photographs of the family throughout the years. There were several pictures of a younger Alfred; one was of him with a Piplup posing with his first badge. A small number of articles on the wall were of Matthew earning his few ribbons. But there were several articles and pictures of Arthur winning various Grand Festivals. In one photo, a much younger Arthur posed with his Empoleon and a Honchkrow. Gilbert scrunched his forehead. Didn't he meet all of Arthur's Pokemon last night?

"Hey Matt," Gilbert pointed to the photograph. "Does Arthur have a Honchkrow?" His friend's reaction made Gilbert wish he had never asked the question.

The blonde's features drooped, and he stared at his shoes. The room grew quiet as if all of the Pokemon—no—the world realized the somber situation. Even Shinx being so young stared up to her trainer with silent worry. Matthew licked his lips, "He did. Honchkrow passed away a little over a year ago from old age. It hit Arthur really hard. He was the first Pokemon Arthur ever caught. They won several Grand Festivals together and were very close. We all buried him out back near the tree line. Sometimes, Arthur and Empoleon will just sit out there for hours in silence. Alfred and I grew up with all of Arthur and Papa's Pokemon. They were our playing companions. It was like losing a member of the family."

Sadiq rested his hand on Matt's shoulder but said nothing.

"Damn," Slowly turning away, Gilbert looked to Hitmonchan and rubbed his shoulder. Hitmonchan flashed a kind smile back and rubbed Gil's arm. "I'm sorry to hear that, Matt. I can't even imagine something like that. I would be devastated is something happened to Hitmonchan or any of my Pokemon for that matter."

Sadiq, spotting an opportunity to change the subject, spoke up, "Was Hitmonchan your first Pokemon?"

"Yep, and he's my best friend," Gilbert lightly slapped his Pokemon's shoulder before they came back into the kitchen. "It's super nice outside. Let's get out there."

As the four of them walked back out, Matthew seemed to brighten being out in the sun. "You're from the Kanto region. Hitmonchan isn't one of the normal starters out there."

"No, he's not."

The trainers lounged out in the grass as Hitmonchan jogged into the field to be with the other Pokemon. Sadiq hoped to keep the conversation pleasant, "So, how did you two meet?"

"It's a long story." Gilbert shook his head enjoying how Matthew's hair shimmered in the pale sunlight. "But I do have plenty of time to tell it. When I was a kid, I guess you could say I was a bit of a trouble maker.

* * *

"_Please forgive my son for this."_

_Eight year old Gilbert stood behind his father, watching him bow to the shop owner. The boy didn't see what the big deal was. All he stole was a magazine, a soda, a few candy bars, and a lighter. He really didn't need the lighter; it had a cool picture of a Machamp on it. This wasn't the first time he stole from this store. It was just the first time he had been caught._

_The store clerk glared at Gilbert, "Word has it around town that your boy is stealing from all the stores in the area. If this keeps up, Magnus, he's going to be sent to juvie."_

"_It won't happen again," Magnus turned back to his son and narrowed his eyes. _

_On the walk home, Gilbert strolled just behind his father and watched him closely. He knew he would be lectured at home, but at the moment he didn't care. Magnus' full attention was on him, and Gilbert was glad to be alone with his father._

_A crash sounded nearby, and they both stopped. A Tyrogue, with arms full of fruit, turned the corner and sprinted towards them. An irate store owner ran after him waving a broom and screaming. Magnus pulled Gilbert to the side as they passed. The young boy glanced into the eyes of the Pokemon. Something deep inside him struck. The Tyrogue had wild, feral eyes and, like Gilbert, couldn't be tamed._

_

* * *

_

Gilbert propped himself up on his elbows, "You see, my father is a famous Pokemon researcher. He spent most of his time in the lab after my mom left us. I think it helped distract him."

Sadiq nodded his head looking very impressed, "I've heard of your father. He specializes in the evolution of Normal types and the Eevee evolutions."

"Yep," Gilbert pointed out to where his Jolteon was tumbling around with Arthur's Umbreon and Espeon, "That's where I got my original Eevee."

Matthew sat up and stretched. Gilbert reached out and plucked some grass from the coordinator's hair. They both paused for a moment and smiled to each other. Licking his lips, Matthew asked, "So, what happened next?"

"Well, I always had to deal with my brother, Ludwig. He's five years older than me and was the golden child. He had tried to be a Pokemon trainer for about three years, but decided he wanted to be a researcher with my father. The two of them got along really well. I always felt like my father loved him more than me. As I got older, there had been news of a rogue Tyrogue running around Saffron City. No one was able to capture him, and he would steal food from vendors and start fights with trainers. It was when I was twelve that I 'formally' met him."

* * *

_Gilbert trotted down the stairs for dinner. It had been a tense day. He had been suspended from school once again for fighting, and his father hadn't said a word since they came home. Peaking into the kitchen, he saw Ludwig and his father discussing their work for the day. They laughed together over some science joke, and Gilbert frowned. Ludwig's Poochyena, who laid by her trainer's feet, glanced up to Gilbert. Ludwig followed her gaze over to the door and frowned at his brother._

_Gilbert just pursed his lips and stepped cautiously over to them, "What's for dinner?"_

"_Chicken, potatoes, and salad," Ludwig turned away to stir the boiling potatoes._

"_Can I help at all?"_

_Ludwig snapped back, "We have this under control!"_

"_Ludwig," Magnus had a calm but firm tone. "He can help." Picking up a bag of cherry tomatoes and a colander, he handed them to Gilbert. "Will you wash those off for the salad?"_

"_Yes!" Gilbert hurried over to the sink and turned on the water._

_A long silence settled over the family as they worked together. Ludwig kept shooting glares at his brother, but never said anything. Apparently, Magnus had missed a breakthrough in their work while he had picked up Gilbert. God forbid they can't have a nerd moment together!_

_After setting the table, they all took their seats and began eating. Gilbert tried his best to ignore his father watching him with concern. He never knew what his father would think._

"_Gilbert," Magnus spoke softly to his child. "You know that you're going to be thirteen in a few months. When you put your energy and strengths towards positive goals, you can really accomplish a lot of great things. You're a bit of an innovated thinker. You might not do things the traditional way, but you do achieve great results."_

_Gilbert knew where this was going. They had this same conversation since he was ten. Almost every time Gilbert got into a fight at school or had Officer Jenny drive him home, they would talk about it. "What are you getting at, Dad?"_

"_Have you considered starting your journey as a trainer? I think that you would be great at it. This life of research and staying at home is just not for you."_

_Gilbert knew his father was thinking of his son's best interest. But at this moment, it pissed Gil off, "Really? So just because I don't want to play with beakers and chemistry sets all day mean that I don't belong at home?"_

"_Father didn't say that, you punk!" Ludwig stood up and leaned towards him. "Maybe if you listened to him for once, you could stay out of trouble and make something of yourself!"_

_Magnus tried to keep control of the situation, but as always, it slipped away from him. "Ludwig-"_

_Gilbert jumped out of his seat, "Sorry I'm not some kiss ass like you!"_

"_Gilbert-"_

"_Why don't you just get out of here or go to jail and leave us alone!"_

_Magnus was up now and jumped between his kids, "Calm down both of you!"_

"_Fine!" Gilbert stormed away from them. "If you both want me gone so bad, I'll leave! Screw you guys!" Shoving open the kitchen door, he ran down the driveway. He passed out of their gated home and sprinted towards the city. Only once did he hear his father screaming after him._

_

* * *

_

Matthew balanced a tray with three glasses of ice tea on it. Sadiq and Gilbert jogged over to help out their friend. Once each of them had a beverage, they strolled towards the lake for a walk. Sadiq laughed and lightly shoved Gilbert, "You would be a little delinquent. Let me get this straight, you beat up kids in school and stole their milk money?"

"Other way around," Gilbert sighed as he plopped down on a rock.

Matthew sat beside him, "What do you mean?"

* * *

"_FAG!" one of the boys screamed before slamming his fist into Gilbert's cheek._

_

* * *

_

"Um," Gilbert licked his lips unsure how to answer. He didn't know these people long enough to confide secrets in them.

Sadiq gave Gilbert a knowing glance. "You do look different than most. Being albino is enough to make children point and stare." It was at that moment that Gilbert realized that his friend was much more perceptive than he thought. He also appreciated that Sadiq wasn't judging him.

"Yeah, what Sadiq said," Gilbert hopped up on a rock and sipped his tea.

Matthew sat by his feet and looked up to him, "So you ran away?"

"Honestly," Gilbert watched as Shinx tried her best to chase Jolteon, but the Eeveelution was too quick. "I didn't get too far before I ran into trouble."

* * *

_It had been raining for about an hour now, and Gilbert shivered as he ducked into an alley. He wasn't sure where he would go. Truly, he wanted to be home with his father, but he would never admit it out loud. Taking shelter under an awning, he leaned against the brick wall. Maybe if he waited until later in the night, he could sneak back into his bedroom window. His father would ground him and lecture him in the morning, but it seemed worth it. _

_In the alley across the street, he heard faint yelling. A gang of four older boys surrounded something, but Gilbert couldn't tell what. He hustled across the street and pressed himself against the corner. Peaking around it, he bit his lip._

_The gang surrounded the wild Tyrogue and waved pipes, chains, and bats as a threat. One guy, who Gilbert assumed was the leader, tapped his bat on his hand, "So you think it's okay for you to come into our town, ransack our stores, and steal for your own wealth? I don't give a damn if you're anywhere else in this town. But when you come on our turf and steal our shit, you're dead."_

_As tuff as the Tyrogue was trying to appear, Gilbert saw the fear in his eyes. _

_This had to stop._

_The gang leader lifted the bat high above his head. Gilbert sprinted forward and tackled the guy. In the moment that the gang froze in shock, Gil whirled around and screamed, "Tyrogue! Run!"_

_Tyrogue gawked at him, unsure whether or not to go. _

"_What are you waiting for! Get out of here! Now!"_

_Squeezing his eyes shut, Tyrogue turned his back on Gilbert and sprinted away from the scene._

"_Well, well, well," the leader sneered as the gang surrounded Gilbert. "I've seen you around town. You're the kid of that researcher guy. Word has it you stole from my uncle's store a few weeks back. Looks like we have to teach you that being a hero gets you killed."_

_The guy to the right swung his pipe. The last thing Gilbert heard was metal connecting with the bones in his skull._

_

* * *

_

Hitmonchan sat somberly beside Gilbert and stared at the grass. This obviously was a touchy subject for him.

Matthew reached out and patted the Pokemon's leg, "It's okay, you know? You and Gilbert are together now. I'm sure you've made it up to him."

"He has," Gilbert nudged his Pokemon. "More than he knows. Dude, there's a reason I say you're my best friend."

Hitmonchan smiled weakly and lightly punched Gilbert in the arm, "Monchan…"

Kirlia sat in her trainer's lap while Sadiq brushed her hair. Shaking his head, Sadiq looked at the albino, "I can't believe you survived being attacked by a gang. You have to be made of steel or something."

"I didn't turn out so lucky," Gilbert gently touched the back of his head. "There's still a few knots in places where there's scar tissue. According to the doctors, I was in a coma for several weeks. Apparently I almost died a few times."

* * *

_Gilbert thought he heard his father's voice. It might have been a dream. At this point, he wasn't too sure of anything anymore except the beeping. The constant beeping echoed through him. Any other circumstance, it would have annoyed him. This time though, he knew it was a good thing. Finally, he felt the urge to wake up and see what the noise was._

_Only one of his eyes peeled open; the other one was still swollen shut. Something was crammed in his mouth, but Gilbert could feel air whirling in and out of his chest. He rolled his eye to the side to make out where he was. Most of the room was blurry though he could tell it was a hospital room. _

_He had been here one too many times to ever forget what it looked like._

_A man was sat back in a chair, slumped against the wall asleep. It was his father. Magnus didn't appear too comfortable in the plastic covered furniture as the paper thin blanket slipped from his lap. From Gilbert's right, Ludwig emerged and bent down to pick up the blanket. He tucked it around their father and turned back to the bed._

_Even though they had fought, Gilbert was happy to see his brother. He tried to form a word, but only a gurgling moan left his lips. It was enough to catch Ludwig's attention._

_He hurried to the side of the bed and gently slipped his hand into Gilbert. In a broken voice, Ludwig weakly smiled to him, "Hey there. Good to see you awake."_

_Gilbert rolled his eye back to Magnus and tried to lift his arm. Only his fingers twitched._

_Ludwig rubbed his thumb along his brother's hand, "Don't try to move. You see father, don't you? He's resting too. He's been up here every day since the accident."_

_With a watery grunt, Gilbert stared back to his brother. He wished he didn't have this damn tube in his mouth. There were too many things he wanted to say at this moment. In case he took a turn for the worse, Gilbert wanted to at least apologize to Ludwig about the fight._

_Scooting his chair closer to the bed, Ludwig sat beside him and clutched Gilbert's hand once more, "Can you still hear me? Grip my hand if you can."_

_Gilbert twitched his fingers._

"_Good. Gilbert, I just… please don't ever do something like that again. I don't think father… or I would ever recover if something happened to you." Ludwig's sniffled and his hand began to shake. "You might be a hooligan and cause trouble, but we love you. I… I love you. I don't care if we fight all the time, but I don't want to lose you."_

_This was weird, but comforting to Gilbert. He thought Ludwig hated him and the air he breathed. Trying once more to hold his brother's hand, Gilbert rubbed his fingers along Ludwig's palm. He might not be able to speak, but he hoped it would show the feelings were mutual._

_Roughly two weeks later, Gilbert ate his chocolate pudding with ease. He was recovering well. So far he was able to walk around the room and hallways. The gang luckily didn't beat him longer than a few minutes, but they left him with a severe concussion, a broken arm, a few broken ribs, some internal damage, and bruises everywhere he could see. The pain medication kept Gilbert mumbling like a loon, but like right now, he had moments of clarity where there was no pain and he knew where he was._

_A knock rapped on the door before his father came in. Magnus smiled to his son and went to the bedside table. He held a bouquet of new flowers and change out the dying ones in the vase. "How are you feeling today, son?"_

"_Honestly, I don't feel much of anything. I can only taste this pudding," Gilbert placed the spoon on the table and rubbed his bald head. There were several staples holding together his skull as it healed, and the nurses shaved his head every few days to have access to the wounds. "Where's Ludwig?"_

"_He's working in the lab," Magnus pulled up a chair. "The doctors said that you should be out in about two weeks."_

"_I'll be happy to get home. This place smells like shit."_

"_Gilbert, language."_

"_Sorry, Dad. This place smell like shitty stuff," Gil grinned like a cat._

_Magnus wasn't paying attention anymore. He stared out the window and scrunched his forehead, "He's back."_

"_Who's back?" Gilbert looked too. Down the hill, a large oak grew by the wall surrounding the hospital. On one of the lower branches was the wild Tyrogue. The Pokemon stared back at Gilbert and watched him. "What's he doing here?"_

_Magnus stood and walked to the window, "He's been here every day since you've been here. He watches from the tree for hours on end."_

"_I must have been too drugged up to notice."_

_Opening the window, Magnus leaned on the pane, "Tyrogue! You can come in and see Gilbert if you want."_

_Tyrogue pursed his lips considering the offer. He shook his head and hopped over the wall vanishing back into the city._

_Gilbert shifted in his bed, trying to get comfortable again. Why would Tyrogue come see him every day? Did the Pokemon feel guilty about what happened? He sighed before smiling to his father, "Can we leave the window open? That breeze feels great."_

_Two weeks later, Gilbert strolled down the sidewalk between Magnus and Ludwig. It was nice to be able to go home, but his arm was still in a sling. His hair covered his head in a thin fuzzy layer since he could let it grow back out again. More than anything Gilbert wanted to sleep in his bed especially since he was still heavily medicated._

"_Father," Ludwig glanced over his shoulder then back to Magnus. "That Pokemon is following us. Should we do something?"_

_Gilbert looked back and saw Tyrogue stopped in his tracks watching the family. He was a couple blocks behind them and waited to see what they would do._

_Magnus stepped forward, and like he did weeks before, called out, "Tyrogue, you can walk with us."_

_The Pokemon shook his head, but didn't run this time._

_Magnus smiled to him, understanding what was going on, "Alright then. Take your time."_

"_Father?" Ludwig observed the situation, confused. "What's going on?"_

"_Tyrogue doesn't trust humans yet, but he seems to have plenty of concern for Gilbert."_

"_For me?" Gilbert stared at Tyrogue before grinning. He waved with his good arm at the Pokemon and cried out, "You can come over to our place anytime!"_

_With a nod, Tyrogue sprinted away._

_

* * *

_

Matthew lay on his stomach while he listened. He couldn't believe everything Gilbert had gone through. In comparison, Matthew had lived a shelter, cushy life. He had never been in a fight—actually, he hated senseless violence. It's why he became a coordinator. He wouldn't have to watch his Pokemon get hurt for more than the five minute contest battle round. Matthew hated arguing, making people upset, and yelling.

Gilbert was the opposite of him. The trainer was strong, confident, and had full trust in his Pokemon. During the practice battle that morning with Arthur, every command Gilbert called out had power in his voice. Not once was there a moment of weakness. From the sound of it, he didn't seem like the type to let a challenge go by without fighting with everything he had in him.

Looking over to his playing Pokemon, Matthew wondered if he could ever be that strong. He hadn't won any ribbons in over a year and wasn't highly respected in the coordinator class. Most people assumed since he was Arthur's stepson he would be good. He had yet to prove them right.

"Matt," Gilbert flopped beside him and poked his side. "You okay there?"

"Just thinking about things," Matthew blushed a little realizing how close Gil's face was to his. The albino's eyes were piercingly beautiful. It was like Gilbert could see into Matthew's soul. "You still haven't told us how you captured Tyrogue."

"I'm getting to that! So a few weeks later I got my cast off and was close enough to being healed so I could go back to school. After I turned ten, I had a hard time there. Most of the other kids who decided to stay and study at least had Pokemon partners. Since I didn't, it just added another target on me. My third day back, I got in a fight again."

* * *

_It was the end of the school day, and Gilbert trudged through the courtyard towards the back entrance. While in the hospital, he had forgotten how much he hated this place. The teachers acted happy that he was back. He knew they despised him._

_At least at home the atmosphere changed. Ludwig and he got along much better, and Gilbert felt comfort sitting in the lab watching his family work. Before it had been boring, but now just being in the same room with them put him at ease. He guessed that near death experiences did that to a person._

_Turning the corner to the back of the school, he stopped in his tracks seeing two boys waiting for him. He recognized them as older students, and both had their Pokemon outside their Pokeballs. One guy had his Charmeleon out while the other stood poised beside his Machop. The first guy pointed at Gilbert and sneered, "Hey you! Kid! Come here."_

_Gilbert knew where this was going, but wasn't sure if he was still healthy enough to run, "Why?"_

_The second boy snatched Gilbert's bad arm and yanked him behind the building away from the eyes of the teachers, "Because we said so!" He slammed Gilbert into the wall. Both of them blocked any means of escape._

_The first one leaned in, "Word has that you were checking out my little brother during gym today while he was changing. A little faggot like you is just a waste of air."_

_Gilbert shifted his messenger bag to a more comfortable position. Just in case he needed to fight, "I hate to break it to you, but your brother looks like a Jynx. I'm not into ugly girls."_

"_Say what! You little punk!" He back handed Gilbert before turning to his Charmeleon. "Teach this guy a lesson. Use scratch on him!"_

_The Pokemon gawked at his trainer, looking to Machop for an answer._

_Gilbert shoved the guy, glaring at him, "How dare you! Pokemon are not tools for you to beat up younger kids! Look how confused your Charmeleon is. They're not born to do your dirty work. If you're going to beat me up, then fight me like a man, you pussy."_

"_Say what?" The second guy's face turned a deep shade of purple._

"_You heard me! I called you guys pussies!"_

"_We're going to kill you kid!" The first guy drew back his fist. _

_Gilbert squeezed his eyes shut and braced himself._

_Nothing came._

_Gilbert opened his eyes and gasped. Tyrogue clutched the attacker's arm, holding the guy in place. With a mighty cry, he picked up the bully and threw him at the Charmeleon knocking them both over. The second guy helped his friend to his feet, and they gaped at the Pokemon._

"_Tyrogue," Gilbert smiled and stood beside him. Together they crouched into fighting poses, ready to take on the bullies._

_The two guys exchanged glances before turning tail and sprinting off, "We'll get you next time, you faggot!"_

_Relaxing, Gilbert grinned to Tyrogue, "Thanks for coming. I appreciate it."_

_Tyrogue beamed and shook his hand._

"_GILBERT WEILSCHMIDT!" His teacher stalked around the corner. "Starting fights again I hear!"_

"_Uh-oh," Gilbert moaned and ran a hand through his hair. "Tyrogue, get out of here or you'll be going to the principal's office with me."_

_The Pokemon nodded and dashed over the school wall. The teacher clicked her heels on the cobblestone and glared down to him. He was in for it now._

_That night, the Weilschmidt family ate dinner as Gilbert explained why he had been suspended on his third day back._

_Magnus wiped gravy from his lips, "I didn't used to think it, but maybe your teachers are against you. You didn't start that fight, but still got in trouble. I'll call the school tomorrow and dispute it."_

"_Don't worry about it," Gilbert cut into his steak. "Honestly, I don't even want to be in that hellhole."_

_Ludwig smirked, "Gilbert, language."_

"_Sorry, shithole." Resting his head on his hand, Gilbert lazily glanced out the kitchen window. Tyrogue sat on their fence, watching over the family._

_Magnus followed his son's gaze and spotted the Pokemon. He crossed to the door and opened it, calling out, "Tyrogue! You can come have dinner with us!"_

_Gilbert tumbled out of his chair and rushed to the door, "Yeah! We're having steak and potatoes and green stuff!"_

_The Pokemon reluctantly hopped down and crept towards the door. Seeing his uneasiness, Magnus stepped away and sat back down while Gilbert waited. When the Pokemon was close enough, Gil snatched his arm and drug him in._

"_Brother, don't be so rough," Ludwig rolled his eyes getting Tyrogue his own plate of food. He placed it in front of the spare seat. _

_Gilbert practically shoved the Pokemon in the extra chair before sliding back into his own, "Eat up! It's delicious! My dad's an awesome cook."_

"_Thank you, son."_

_A slight blush crept across Tyrogue's face at the attention. Finally, he flashed them a small smile before munching on the food. "Tyrogue ty!"_

"_And thank you too!" Magnus laughed as they settled into a new conversation._

_The next morning, Gilbert lay in his bed staring at the ceiling. Tyrogue left shortly after dinner, but being around the Pokemon made Gilbert comfortable and safe. He needed to leave and get out of this city. He also needed a Pokemon partner._

_Rolling out of bed and dressing, Gilbert trampled down the stairs and found his father in the kitchen still sipping coffee. They smiled to eat other as Gilbert sat down._

_He wrung his hands together and looked to Magnus, "Dad, can I talk to you?"_

"_Sure. What is it?"_

"_I've been thinking about it, and I think I'm ready to start my Pokemon journey as a trainer."_

_A proud smiled beamed on Magnus' face, "I was hoping you were coming around. If you want, this weekend we can go visit Professor Oak in Pallet Town and pick out your starter Pokemon."_

_Gilbert frowned and glanced at the table, "I don't want a Bulbasaur or a Squirtle or a Charmander."_

"_I was hoping you would say that too," Magnus placed his cup on the table and stood up. "Follow me, Gilbert." He opened the kitchen door and stepped outside._

_Gilbert trailed after him outside and spotted Tyrogue waiting in the backyard. Magnus pulled an empty Pokeball from his pocket and handed it to his son._

_Gilbert gawked up to his father, "How did you know?"_

"_I had a hunch," Magnus ruffled his hair, "You're my son, Gilbert. I know more about you than anyone else. Go on now." He nudged the boy towards the Pokemon._

_Gilbert approached Tyrogue and held out the Pokeball, "Tyrogue, I want to start my trainer journey, and I would like you to be my partner."_

_Tyrogue grinned and nodded to him. Tapping the Pokeball on his head, a beam of light shot out and pulled Tyrogue inside. The ball felt warm in Gilbert's hand as it shook. A few moments later, he had captured his first Pokemon._

"_Alright!" Gilbert thrust the Pokeball in the air. "I got a Tyrogue!" The ball burst opened, and Tyrogue appeared again in front of him. The two of them hugged and laughed, happy about their new partnership. Magnus quietly watched in proud approval._

_The next morning, Gilbert and Tyrogue stood with their supplies before Ludwig and Magnus. Handing Gil a Pokedex and a map, the father did his best to not get weepy, "Alright, just make sure you phone us and let us know how you two are doing."_

"_We will."_

_Ludwig crossed his arms, "Where are you two heading to first?"_

"_We're going to Lavender Town. See what all those ghost Pokemon are about. I would like to take on Sabrina first here in town, but since she's a psychic type trainer, we're going to need more friends. Plus, Tyrogue and I need to train and get to know each other better."_

"_Tyrogue!" They high fived each other._

"_Be careful you two. Look out for each other," Magnus sighed realizing his baby boy was growing up faster than he liked. "See you later."_

"_Bye guys!" Gilbert and Tyrogue waved and strolled out of the gate. Once they were a bit away, Gilbert glanced to his partner. "Hey, did I ever tell you the one about the Miltank?"_

_Tyrogue rolled his eyes and groaned. This was going to be a long journey._

_

* * *

_

**Please read and review**


	5. Trouble before the Storm!

**Hello everyone! I hope you're all doing well!**

**You know, I have no clue when this story switched from being third person limited point of view to third person omniscient. But I think it works well for this tale. I would have more of a problem with it if this was Vigilant or N.L.**

**This was going to be a character building chapter, but I decide to go on with the plot. It was going to be Matt's back story, but after looking it over that can come at a later date. I've planned to have several omake chapters here and there filling in more of their back stories scattered throughout the piece like how Gilbert got his original Gastly and stuff like that. I might just do that chapter that way.**

**I've had some comments about Gilbert being OOC. Here is my theory on that. I'm actually very okay with characters being out of character in fanfics. This Gilbert is not Prussia. This is Gilbert growing up in the world of Pokemon so his past and influences are different from Prussia. His personality is essentially the same on how I see Prussia. My theory is the whole "I'M AWESOME! 5 METERS! KESESESE!" is the outer shell of Prussia. It's a cover up and a front. Under that shell is a soft, squishy, awkward man who is trying to hide who he truly is and doesn't want to seem weak. This Gilbert is a muted form of that. That's why I like fanfiction. You get to explore characters in situations that they normally wouldn't be in and see their reactions to those situations.**

**Reviews!**

**~Jayshock: Yeah, I should have mentioned in chapter one that this fic has violence and sex. It's like Pokemon for adults. I started watching the series when I was in elementary school and now I just graduated college. This is what I would want to watch in Pokemon now.**

**~LiveEatBreathRepeat: I need to figure in Italy somewhere. I know Romano will be chilling with Spain later on, but I don't know where to fit in Italy**

**~ShadowfireNightblade: I didn't plan for Swablu doing that, but it is a cute idea! Gilbert will get another bird later on in the fic to ride on his head, but I might put in an omake chapter with Swablu.**

**~Gijinka Glaceon: Yes, the coordinating will be anime style. I just got my first DS two weeks ago so I've been working my way through Pokemon Platinum. As much as I don't want to admit it, I sort of want Black and White. All my friends have it and keep talking about it. I'll probably break down and get it when the price goes down. Also, I see your point with Gilbert being more like Barry. I'll try to add that more. But Gilbert will never be like Paul. He respects Pokemon far too much to ever abuse one.**

**On with the chapter!**

* * *

"Hey everybody!" Alfred pushed open the door and smiled to the group gathered in the kitchen.

"Hey Al," Matthew nodded to his brother. Spoink rested in his lap, enjoying the light massage from his trainer. "What are you doing here?"

Alfred strolled across the kitchen to Arthur and Francis who were cooking together, "Francis said he was making up several batches of poffins, so I wanted to pick some up for my Pokemon. Wow! They look so good!"

Francis kissed his step son's cheek, "Well I do make the best poffins in town, if I do say so myself! But you're going to have to wait a little bit. They're not ready yet."

"That's fine," Alfred turned to Matthew. "So where are your friends?"

"Sadiq is out back with his pokemon," Matthew pointed to the living room. "And Gilbert is calling his family."

"Oh?" Alfred shuffled over to the door and peaked in the next room.

Gilbert stood in front of the video phone with Hitmonchan. He was talking with a blonde man with similar features. Alfred figured this must have been his brother.

Gilbert crossed his arms, "Yeah, it's a steel type gym. I'm a bit worried because I don't have any fire type pokemon, but I do have Hitmonchan."

Ludwig sat back in his chair and nodded, "I can see the problem though. Not to be rude to you, Hitmonchan, but I don't think you can last an entire gym battle by yourself."

"Hitmonchan," the fighting type agreed.

Gilbert flopped onto the couch, "I've already decided that if it's a three on three battle, I'm going to use Hitmonchan, Jolteon, and Buizel. But if it's a four on four, I'm not sure who to use. Haunter, Ivysaur, and Altaria won't have much effect in battle."

"What about switching out some of your pokemon?"

Gilbert smirked, "That's why I was calling you. How are my Muk and Scyther?"

Ludwig sprang forward tapping the video screen, "Your Muk dirties everything it touches! And it smells! We have it living in our backyard and get complaints from the neighbors all the time!"

Gilbert and Hitmonchan laughed, "Consider it a research project then! 'How to make Muks smell good.' Anyway, I was wondering if you could have Scyther ready for battle. I think I'm going to trade him out with Ivysaur. Scyther might have less power, but damn he's quick."

"Oh?" Ludwig stood up to fetch Scyther's poke ball. "You're going to try to fight power with speed? That could work. But you need to consider if the gym does a five on five match or even a full battle."

"You kidding me?" Gilbert scoffed, "No gym does a full battle! It's unheard of!"

Matthew stood up and nudged his brother. Alfred snapped out of eavesdropping on the conversation.

Matt's brow furrowed, "Isn't that cheating?"

"Nope," Alfred turned away and trudged back to their dads. "It's strategy."

* * *

That night, Gilbert lay in bed and stared at the ceiling. Tomorrow was his first gym battle in Sinnoh. His stomach kept curling up every time he ran his strategy through his head. Speed would play a huge roll tomorrow, but part of him really hoped Hitmonchan would be able to last most of the rounds. Looking to his sleeping partner beside him, Gilbert smirked and gently ruffled Hitmonchan's head. He sat up and tip toed out of the room.

Coming down the stairs, he spotted a light on in the kitchen. Matt sat at the kitchen table flipping through a photo album.

"Hey," Gilbert came in and took a glass out of the cabinet. "What are you looking at?"

"Arthur's old contest photos," Matthew closed the book. "When I can't sleep, I like to flip through them and set goals for myself."

Gilbert filled the glass with water and sipped it, "Sound cool."

"You can't sleep either?"

"I'm too nervous about the gym battle tomorrow," Gilbert leaned on the counter.

"Hey about that, can I talk to you?" Matthew stood up, "I think you need to be very careful about the gym leader tomorrow."

"Are you trying to give me battle help?" Gilbert rolled his eyes. "Thanks but I don't need it."

"Seriously, Gilbert," Matt stepped closer and took the glass out of his hand to get the trainer's attention. "You need to know-"

"Look, I don't want to know anything!" he snatched his glass back and downed the rest of the water. "Thanks but no thanks! I definitely don't need advice from you." He roughly sat the glass on the counter and stalked towards the door.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Matthew scurried after him and snagged his arm.

"I don't think you're really qualified to tell me how to battle," Gilbert glared at the blonde. He wasn't quite sure how this had escalated into a fight.

"I've lived in Canalave most of my life, and I know about the gym leader!"

"Good for you. I placed fourth in Hoenn. I don't need advice from some guy who's eighteen and only has two ribbons to show!" Gilbert ripped his arm away, "Maybe you should think about yourself before criticizing others!"

A gray blur flew down the stairs and knocked Gilbert off his feet. Grimacing, he glanced up and gawked.

Absol crouched low in front of Matt and growled at him.

"Stop it!" Matt placed a hand on Absol's back. "Leave him alone. He obviously doesn't realize that I wasn't criticizing him. Gilbert doesn't want my help. Come on, let's go to bed. Good luck tomorrow, Gilbert. You'll need it." Matthew trotted up the stairs, while Absol shot one last glare at Gilbert before following his trainer to his room.

"Damn it," Gilbert flopped back on the floor and stared at the ceiling. Why did everything have to suck?

* * *

Sadiq and Hitmonchan both noticed the changed in Gilbert that morning. It was like the albino had the wind sucked out of his sails. This was not a good way to start before a gym battle.

"Monchan?" Hitmonchan tapped his trainer's arm. "Hitmonchan hit?"

"Of course I'm okay!" Gilbert forced a smile and picked up his pace. "Why wouldn't I be! It's beautiful day in the city! We have a gym battle! Look! The sea!" He ran ahead and leaned over the railing of a bridge. "Look! Boats!"

"Monchan," the Pokemon didn't look too convinced, but trotted after his trainer.

Sadiq frowned watching Gil fake his way through happiness. When they woke up that morning, Arthur and Francis told them that Matthew had already left for the day to visit his brother. They also said that they would meet Gilbert and Sadiq later in the city. Something was up. Every time Matt's name popped up, Gilbert frowned and quickly changed subjects. They must have fought last night.

"So, you're using a Scyther instead of Ivysaur?" Sadiq caught up with them and tried to focus Gilbert in on the coming battle. "Is that wise?"

"It's only if I need a fourth Pokemon, but I should be fine with three," Gilbert's face suddenly lit up as he sprinted ahead. "There's the gym! Come on! Come on!"

Sadiq caught Hitmonchan's shoulder, "You walk. Don't run. Save your energy."

"Chan!" Hitmonchan nodded and took his time.

Gilbert pushed open the gym doors and called out, "Gym leader! I'm here to challenge-" He froze and cocked his head.

Matthew, Arthur, and Francis were already waiting in the gym. The parents smiled and waved to greet them while Matthew crossed his arms while glaring at Gilbert. Sadiq and Hitmonchan walked in and shared a similar reaction.

"What are you guys doing here?" Gil and Hitmonchan walked over to them.

"We came to watch the battle, lad!" Arthur slapped his shoulder. "Good luck!" He slipped his hand into Francis' and tugged him to the home side of the audience.

Matthew shuffled after his parents but smiled to Hitmonchan, "Be careful."

"Hitmonchan."

"Matthew," Gilbert hurried in front of him. "Look, about last night-"

Matt rolled his eyes, "Oh now you want help from me?"

"I want to apologize-"

"Forget it. I think I'm going to enjoy watching this," Matthew stepped around him and climbed into the bleachers by his parents.

"Hey!" Gilbert dropped his arms to his side. "Shouldn't you be on the challenger's side with Sadiq and support me?"

"Nope," Matt grinned. "I'm on the right side."

"Gilbert!" a voice rang out. Stepping out onto the battle floor was Alfred. He stood across the field from them and waved. "You're here to challenge the gym leader? Well, I accept that challenge. I am the Canalave City gym leader."

It suddenly all made sense to Gilbert as his eyes trailed back to Matthew. This was the warning that he tried to say. Thinking back over the last few days, Gilbert should have seen the signs. Alfred owned a Steelix and a Mawile, and nobody in Matt's family ever said the gym leader's name. Arthur had an Empoleon which was a water and a _steel_ type. Then that photo of Alfred on the wall with a Piplup! Gilbert would bet money that Alfred had at least a Prinplup or an Empoleon ready to battle.

"By the way, Gilbert," Alfred took out his first poke ball. "I couldn't help but overhearing your conversation last night. You said that no gym leaders ever do full battles. So for you, I'll make an exception. This will be a full six on six battle! I hope you're ready."

* * *

**Next chapter: Alfred and Gilbert's battle!**

**Please read and review**


	6. What's Been Going On with Me

**Hi everyone! Sorry for the sudden hiatus. I promise it was accidental. A lot of things have been happening in my life. I suddenly have to move so I'm trying to get things packed. Once I get settled again, I should (hopefully) be fairly regular with updates again. Life happens and it sucks. Sorry for that guys! Thanks, though, for still sticking around with me after all this craziness. It means so much to me. Thank you.**

**I felt the need to let you guys know what's up especially those of you who have been with me for years. I adore all of you, old fans and new. You guys light up my life when things have been so difficult lately. So once I get moved in, you will have new chapters of Vigilant and Northern Lights. I need to rework Trainer, Coordinator, and Breeder. I overthought a lot of the battle schematics and made it tedious, difficult, and not fun to work on… which is why I haven't touched it in a year (OH MY GOD IT'S BEEN A YEAR!). I promise I haven't forgotten about you guys. I miss you all so very much! I just need to get my stuff worked out.**

**If you want to keep up with me, I have a tumblr over at http:/ geekygirlexperience . tumblr. com/**

**(just connect the spaces)**

**Thank you thank you THANK YOU for your patience. I really appreciate it**

**~~Yours truly,**

**~Hope**


	7. Gilbert vs Alfred

**Hi there everyone! So like I said in my last message, thank you for your patience with this piece. I know I haven't updated it in over a year, but I haven't forgotten about it. I promise. I think about it a lot actually but this hiccup with the Pokémon battles had me stumped for the longest time. I was trying to make it over technical and making charts and stuff. I just needed to relax on it. This wasn't supposed to be a serious fic like N.L. and Vigilant. This was just for fun. So I'm going to ease up on the crazy and just go for it.**

**Though, I do still look up special abilities, moves, compare the trainers' Pokémon to each other, and such. Probably for battle chapters, I would expect them to take longer to write because there is far more effort that goes into them.**

**About the pokemon attacks: I'm NOT going to follow the four move rule. I feel like if a Pokemon learned Tackle and then they learned Take Down, they're not going to suddenly forget how to run into something. The way I'm doing this is the Pokemon have moves they use the most, then they have secondary moves they know but they're harder to perform, and then they have rare moves that are super hard to pull off because they never use them. For example, Gilbert's Hitmonchan has the main moves of Mach Punch, Sky Uppercut, Agility, and Close Combat. Those will usually be his main ones. Then his secondary moves are Fire Punch, Ice Punch, Quick Guard, and Thunder Punch. These are ones that he can use, but he might take longer to psyche up for them. His rare moves are Focus Punch and Bullet Punch. Because he learned these early as a Hitmonchan, he has trouble executing these because he rarely uses them anymore. That's how I'm setting up the attacks.**

**This is my first time writing a fight scene. Please critique it. I would like to know where I can improve. I referred to Bulbapedia on how the moves should look for each Pokemon.**

**Reviews!**

**~Everyone: I'm glad you all liked that Alfred was the gym leader. He did cheat but Gilbert was a jerk so it balances out.**

**~Jayshock: Your comments about Italy knowing Gilbert made me think. He might come in later, but I'm still not sure where. Don't think about relationships in the anime. Not all of them will carry over to this fic, but some will.**

**~Yukai yami: I'm not sure if Matt and Gilbert will make up yet right away. I'm still musing that one over. I can guarantee that Gilbert will eat TONS of humble pie.**

**~Your-Gothic-Angel: Thanks for going through all the trouble just to read my fic. I actually used your comment to guilt my best friend. She likes to read my work, but she refused to read this one because she didn't know Pokemon at all. But when I showed her your comment, I forced her hand. Thanks for that! Going through the trouble to do that just to read this means the world. Thank you.**

**~Darka Moon: Get her into Pokemon man and DEFINITELY get her into Kuroshitsuji (but the manga first! The manga is 12 million times better than the anime in my opinion). And Durarara! is one of the greatest animes I've seen in a very long time. Totally blew my mind.**

**~RickaZcurser: I think I mentioned this in another chapter, but I like to think about this being like Pokémon for adults. This is seriously how I would like Pokémon to be for me since I've grown up with the franchise. The kid jokes are cute, but I want my sex, drugs, and rock and roll (not literally but maybe in later chapters~).**

**~FluffDucklings: I hope I live up to your expectations. I've never written a fight scene before so you guys are my test audience.**

**~MizukiCheese-kun: I don't think you're a stalker! I'm totally flattered! Thank you!**

**~ATC: Maybe I should push the Failbert more. From what I'm hearing from a lot of comments is that he's not reading the way I want him to be. Thanks for the advice. I'm going to think over it more and try to up the Fail! for Gilbert. Though I do believe the more he's around people and learns to trust him, he doesn't need to come off so overbearing. It would be with new people it would come back out.**

**~SoulEaterRomanceFan: I'm planning for about 20 Hetalia characters to come in give or take a few. Eight of them will be gym leaders; four of them will be Elite Four. The rest will be friends, coordinators, family, Team Rocket, etc. **

**On with the story!**

* * *

Shit! Fuck Alfred and his fucking smirking fuck face! Gilbert clenched his fists as he glared across the rocky field at the gym leader. Gil had walked all on his own into this trap. Alfred saw every Pokémon in his party the other day except Scyther. He had a one up that way. But Gilbert had a sneaking suspicion that he knew about Scyther as well. He glanced to the home team stands. Matt clapped his hands together and shouting good luck to his brother. Did he tell Alfred about Gilbert's team or strategy? The albino shook his head. Matthew wouldn't have tried to warn him last night if he did.

"We need an official referee!" Alfred smiled to his family. "Dad, do you mind?"

Arthur stood and straightened out his coat, "Not at all dear boy. Be right down."

Gilbert sneered a bit at that, "You're still going to be unbiased right?"

"I'm offended that you even have to make a comment about that, young man," Arthur retorted as he trotted down the stairs to the field. "I will be, so don't worry about that."

Alfred reached to his belt buckle and took off his first Pokémon, "Okay Gilbert, this is an official gym battle. It will be a six-on-six full battle. Neither side can make substitutions. No time limit. I know this sounds tough, but you did rank top four in Hoenn's Ever Grande Competition. I'm not going to go easy on you."

Though he was frazzled, Gilbert couldn't help but to smirk, "I wouldn't want it any other way."

"I'm going to choose first so you can plan accordingly your first move."

"After you."

Arthur took his place on the side lines and held up his hands.

Alfred threw out his first Pokémon, "Magneton, prepare for battle!" The steel type Pokémon burst from its Pokeball. Sparks flew off of its magnets as it levitated above the ground. Alfred dramatically pointed to his opponent, "Your move and you attack first!"

Gilbert inhaled slowly. He couldn't let the surprise of his foe frazzle him anymore. This was a battle, and he couldn't lose. He had to change his entire game plan now. Half of his Pokémon weren't suited to fight steel types. Should he start with his strongest and take out as many of Alfred's Pokémon? He would have to hope his team could pick off any leftovers. Or should Gil start with his weakest and exhaust the gym leader's defenses before slamming him at the end?

Looking to his partner, Hitmonchan watched Magneton carefully and examined how it moved. Thank god his partner was so focused. "Hitmonchan."

"Chan?"

"I need you to last as long as you can. Take out Alfred's team and wipe that goddamn grin off of his ugly face."

Hitmonchan chuckled and nodded. He was ready. Trotting out to the field, he crouched into a fighting position and waited.

Arthur motioned to the center of the rocky field, "The gym leader has selected Magneton! The challenger has selected Hitmonchan! Begin!"

Sparks literally flew hard and fast. Though Hitmonchan was ordered to use his agility and speed to dodge whatever came at him, nothing can escape the move Lock-On. It was Alfred's first order. Wherever Hitmonchan tried to dash to escape what came next, it didn't matter.

And Gilbert knew it.

Alfred pointed to the field always having to be one for the dramatics, "Thunder Wave!"

"Oh no…" Gilbert watched as his best chance against the gym leader, his best friend, his Hitmonchan got blasted with the electricity. It didn't do any damage to his friend. But the chance of Hitmonchan being hit with paralysis in the middle of battle was high. That's one of those status effects that are really hard to shake off. Also, Hitmonchan's speed was greatly reduced. Shit, this was the worst thing to happen in the opening attacks.

Alfred nodded in his own approval, "I was hoping you would use Hitmonchan first. He's your best option against me. Let's see how you play this now."

"Shut the hell up!" Clenching his fists, Gilbert inhaled slowly to get his grip. He could tell Hitmonchan was trying to shake it off and keep his eye on the Magneton. There couldn't be any more room for errors. "Are you good!"

Hitmonchan waved back to show he could still battle.

"Let's do this," Gilbert locked eyes with Alfred. "Let's take him out."

The Pokémon clashed across the field smashing the boulders. Hitmonchan had great height when he leaped up snagging the steel type. Magneton and Alfred were both just as surprised. Slamming it into the ground, Hitmonchan wailed on his opponent at Gilbert's command. Shooting bolts of electricity up, Magneton thrust Hitmonchan off and shot up into the rafters of the gym.

They parried back and forth like this for a while. Hitmonchan used his few distant moves like Mach Punch and Sky Uppercut to draw Magneton back down. Magneton would wiggle out through Alfred's well placed electric attacks. But it was clear the steel type was wearing down fast.

Fighting type moves like Hitmonchan's were always super effective against steel types.

Magneton swooped in for a Mirror Shot, but Hitmonchan leaped back from range.

"Fire Punch!" Gilbert called out. It was a long shot, but he prayed it would work. There were several moves that Hitmonchan knew. Though rarely used in battle, they were still in his arsenal. If pulled off, this could be the finishing blow for Magneton. Hitmonchan still looked great to keep on battling with barely a scratch on him.

Then it hit. The paralysis took hold of Gilbert's Pokémon. Hitmonchan cringed and dropped to one knee. He couldn't move.

Alfred punched a fist in the air, "Got him! Quick! Use Zap Canon!"

Magneton's magnets glowed hot white as a ball of pure electricity formed. It only needed a few more seconds, before it would release its most powerful attack.

"Hitmonchan!" Gilbert cried. "Get out of there! Now!"

It was too late. The blast shot out and plowed into Hitmonchan as a direct hit. He flew back skidding across the terrain.

Gilbert held his breath. He knew it would take a lot out of his Pokémon getting hit like that. He muttered to himself, "Get up. Come on. Get up. We can't lose this…"

Just as Arthur started to raise his hand to declare the end of the round, Hitmonchan pushed himself up to his feet. There was a gleam in his eyes that Gilbert knew well. It was that same feral passion that filled the street hardened Tyrogue. It was the same fire that Gilbert felt against the people who would bully him. They were the same and still ready to fight.

Gilbert nodded to his partner. He barely had to utter the attacks. Hitmonchan knew what was next. "Agility. Fire Punch."

The fighting type vanished from view. Appearing behind Magneton, he slammed the steel type into the ground in a burst of flames. He leaped back as the smoke cleared. Magneton lay motionless in a crater.

Arthur threw up his hand, "Magneton is unable to battle! The victor is Hitmonchan!"

"Awesome!" Gilbert called out. Hitmonchan smiled back at him. "Are you okay to keep going? I know I can't change you out, but you're okay right?"

"Monchan!" Hitmonchan thrust an enthusiastic fist in the air. He was still ready to go.

From his seat in the stands, Sadiq leaned back on his elbows on the bleachers behind him. Both sides were very strong, though at the moment Gilbert had the advantage. Any Pokémon that Alfred threw out would be weak against Hitmonchan. But looking over the fighting type, Hitmonchan took several good hits. If all of Alfred's Pokémon were the same caliber as Magneton, then Gilbert could probably knock out half of the team. But Sadiq had a sneaking suspicion that Alfred was holding out on something. There would be no way he'd be a gym leader without knowing how to face someone with type advantage.

"Wow," Matthew wrung his hands together. "I knew that Gilbert's Hitmonchan was strong, but that's something else."

Francis nodded in approval, "Oui, this will be very intense. It's been awhile since Alfred's had a good challenge. Though, surprising poor Gilbert with a full battle is a bit underhanded, no?"

Matt chose his words carefully, "That… jerk got exactly what he deserved. I hope Alfred wipes the floor with him."

Francis glanced discretely at his boy. Matthew was trying to remain mad at the trainer, but the boy was too kind. It was always so difficult for him to be angry and fight. Francis always worried for his little boy. Matthew was soft, vulnerable, and too trusting. Hopefully if he could work things out with these newcomers, Matt could travel and grow up. Francis knew it was a big hope. Matthew never wandered too far from home since his mother died. Whenever he set out, Matt would come back a few weeks later. The Frenchman was glad that his son wanted to stay close, but he would never be strong at this pace. Turning back to the battle, Francis smiled, "We'll see how this plays out."

Alfred recalled his fainted Magneton, "Pretty good so far. This is going to be fun. Alright! It's time for my second Pokémon. Mawile! You're up!" He threw out his Pokeball, and the steel type burst onto the field. It was obvious it was the older brother to Matt's Mawile. He was much larger and bulkier than his little sister. Gilbert could tell it had far more battle experience too.

Arthur signaled and called for the battle to begin.

Mawile wasn't as fast as Hitmonchan. The fighting type easily landed damage on it. But Mawile had been trained to take a hit. He was also trained to have patience. Alfred would time his moves just right. Gilbert had always known that one of Hitmonchan's disadvantages was his lack of distant moves. As his Pokémon went in for an attack, Mawile would counter with smaller strikes like Sucker Punch and Astonish. Though these wouldn't do too much damage normally, but Hitmonchan was already worn.

Then again it hit. As Hitmonchan dove to dodge an attack, he was struck with the paralysis. He skidded into the ground cringing.

Mawile and Alfred both saw the opportunity. Alfred threw out a hand, "There! Use Crunch and try to pin his arms!"

Gilbert clenched his fists, "Fight back!" Then an idea hit him. With a wild grin, he called out, "You trust me buddy?"

"Chan!"

"Then let him get you!"

They locked eyes for a moment. Hitmonchan nodded and prepared himself.

Whirling around, Mawile bared his horns. They were lined with teeth appearing as a massive set of jaws.

Gilbert held his breath watching his partner carefully. He hoped that the paralysis would wear off again.

Since Hitmonchan couldn't move, Mawile easily scooped him up into the secondary jaws. He took extra time to make sure Hitmonchan's arms were in the right position. Then he crunched down on his victim.

Crying out, Hitmonchan took high amounts of damage with each bite. Gilbert bit his lip.

There! He saw movement in his partner! The paralysis was gone again.

Mawile clinched his jaws for another bite.

"Counter!" Gilbert shouted.

In a burst of strength, Hitmonchan wrenched apart the jaws. He struck with a powerful blow inside them, a spot rarely hit. Mawile released him immediately and stumbled back in clear pain. He never saw Hitmonchan's Sky Uppercut coming.

Mawile flew into the air and crashed into a boulder. As the smoke cleared, Mawile was clearly passed out.

Arthur pointed to Gilbert, "Mawile is unable to battle! Hitmonchan is the victor."

"Son of a bitch!" Gilbert leaned forward on his knees. That was too close. Another Crunch attack and his partner would have fainted. Hitmonchan was beaten up and tired. Unless it was something weak like a Caterpie, Hitmonchan probably wouldn't last too long next round. Gilbert could only hope to get some attacks in to weaken Alfred's next choice. "You're doing awesome, Hitmonchan!"

Hitmonchan shot a smirked back to his trainer, "Hitmon Hitmonchan!"

"No, you're awesome."

"I have to agree," Alfred recalled his Mawile. "You're really tough, and that was a ballsy move you did. I don't think my Mawile has ever been hit there before. It was smart." Suddenly, Alfred's face changed into a challenging grin. "But I'm done playing with you."

Matthew smiled and leaned in a bit, "It's about time that Alfred pulled him out. Why would he wait this long to use him?"

Francis smiled at his son, "It was a good strategy. He's Alfred's strongest Pokémon. If Al sent him out first against Gilbert's strongest, the battle could have gone either way. Now, all of Gilbert's team will be at a disadvantage. Yes, it took two of Alfred's to wear Hitmonchan down, but he'll get it back now."

Gilbert held his head high in anticipation of what was coming.

Taking a Pokeball that was decorated in graffiti from his belt, Alfred looked it over, "Time to take back our victory. Go!" He threw it onto the field.

In a burst of smoke and light appeared Alfred's greatest warrior: Lucario.

"Damn," Gilbert wasn't surprised that Alfred would have such a strong contender in his arsenal. Though, he would never admit that he was intimidated. "Hitmonchan! We can do this! Together!"

Hitmonchan nodded. Being a seasoned battler, he knew now his goal was to weaken the opponent. That was the only option now.

Arthur signaled to the arena, "Begin!"

Lucario vanished, and suddenly Hitmonchan was flat on his back. He was knocked out cold. Lucario appeared again a second later where he started.

Arthur pointed to Alfred, "Hitmonchan is unable to battle! Lucario is the winner!"

"What just happened?" Gilbert's eyes were wide. He never heard Alfred's command. But an attack just went through. Glancing at Alfred, the blonde laughed cockily.

"You're probably wondering how Lucario knew what attack to use," Alfred tapped his own temple. "Our auras are linked together. We can read each other's thoughts through telepathy. I don't have to say a word, but he knows what to do."

"Oh, of course! That's just peachy keen!" Gilbert groaned and ran a hand through his hair. Alfred definitely had the advantage if he never had to call an attack. It gave the opponent a small window to react. Now, that was much smaller. After taking a deep breath, he looked to Arthur, "May I enter the field to get Hitmonchan? He doesn't like being in his Pokeball."

"Granted. Hold the battle," Arthur stepped back.

Gilbert sprinted across the terrain and knelt beside his fallen partner. Hitmonchan weakly opened his eyes mumbling apologies to his trainer. Gilbert rested a hand on his chest, "Shut up. You did amazing. I don't want another word out of you. Get some rest." Hauling Hitmonchan up to his shoulders, Gilbert carried his partner on his back.

Alfred smiled as he watched the display. Gil might be rough around the edges and brash, but he cared deeply for his team.

_We're not going easy on them,_ Lucario shot a glance back to his trainer as he spoke through telepathy.

Alfred chuckled, _I would never dream of that. Geez! Have more faith in me!_

Lucario rolled his eyes, _I admit that it is respectable. Though, I would have liked to face that opponent one on one. I've needed a challenge._

_Next time,_ Alfred returned his gaze to Gilbert. _We need to focus now._

Gil laid Hitmonchan on the ground behind him. Shrugging off his jacket, Gilbert balled it up and placed it under the Pokémon's head, "Rest. Don't watch the battle." Though, he knew that Hitmonchan wouldn't listen. Gilbert rose to his feet and faced the field.

Time for the second half to begin.

* * *

**Please read and review.**

**I'm stopping here, because I would like some feedback. I've never wrote a fight scene before so I would love some critiques before I jump into part two. Thanks guys!**


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